2019-2020 concert season off to a strong start
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2019-2020 concert season off to a strong start A full house was on hand for the Alliance Brass presentation of Music of the Stage and Screen for the 2019-2020 season opener on September 15 th . The quintet played selections from West Side Story, Star Wars and The Music Man, along with songs such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Moon River and Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Following a standing ovation, the ensemble treated the audience to a bit of New Orleans style jazz, playing When the Saints Go Marchin’ In. DGMC was able to present the free public concert thanks to the generous support of the Shelby Bulut Memorial Fund. Our second program of the season, which was held on October 13 th , was equally well received by the audience. Combining music and drama, Oscar Wilde’s The Canterville Ghost featured award-winning actress/storyteller Megan Wells, accompanied by noted musicians, soprano Mary Elliott and pianist Chris Garofalo. Selections performed included the Graceful Ghost Rag by William Bolcom, The Canterville Prophecy, set to Eclogue for Piano and Strings by Gerald Finzi, Heady the Headless Horseman by Denis Morgan and Shel Silverstein, and When the Night Wind Howls by Gilbert and Sullivan. According to Library staff, several attendees stopped by to say what an outstanding program it was, and that the cast was remarkable. The performance was made possible by the generous support of the Shelby Bulut Memorial Fund and the Downers Grove Public Library. Vol. 28 No. 2 Downers Grove Music Club Newsletter November 2019 Fostering a vibrant musical arts community through free public concerts, student education programs, and making investments that strengthen musical arts development in our schools and community. BENEFIT HOUSE CONCERT FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2019 $35 donation All proceeds support DGMC student music awards. Seating is extremely limited! Check downersgrovemusicclub.org, or contact Chris Garofalo at 630-968-7649 for availability or to make a donation.
Transcript of 2019-2020 concert season off to a strong start
2019-2020 concert season off to a strong start A full house was on hand for the Alliance Brass presentation of Music of the Stage and Screen for the 2019-2020 season
opener on September 15th. The quintet played selections from West Side Story, Star Wars and The Music Man, along
with songs such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Moon River and Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Following a standing ovation,
the ensemble treated the audience to a bit of New Orleans style jazz, playing When the Saints Go Marchin’ In. DGMC
was able to present the free public concert thanks to the generous support of the Shelby Bulut Memorial Fund.
Our second program of the season, which was held on
October 13th, was equally well received by the audience.
Combining music and drama, Oscar Wilde’s The Canterville
Ghost featured award-winning actress/storyteller Megan
Wells, accompanied by noted musicians, soprano Mary
Elliott and pianist Chris Garofalo. Selections performed
included the Graceful Ghost Rag by William Bolcom, The
Canterville Prophecy, set to Eclogue for Piano and Strings
by Gerald Finzi, Heady the Headless Horseman by Denis
Morgan and Shel Silverstein, and When the Night Wind
Howls by Gilbert and Sullivan. According to Library staff,
several attendees stopped by to say what an outstanding
program it was, and that the cast was remarkable.
The performance was made possible by the generous
support of the Shelby Bulut Memorial Fund and the
Downers Grove Public Library.
Vol. 28 No. 2 Downers Grove Music Club Newsletter November 2019
Fostering a vibrant musical arts community through free public
concerts, student education programs, and making investments that
strengthen musical arts development in our schools and community.
BENEFIT HOUSE CONCERT
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2019
$35 donation All proceeds support DGMC
student music awards.
Seating is extremely limited!
Check downersgrovemusicclub.org, or contact Chris Garofalo
at 630-968-7649 for availability or to make a donation.
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D O W N E R S G R O V E M U S I C C L U B . O R G ❖ Celebrating the musical arts since 1927
Membership Reminder Membership dues are due for the new music club season.
All our support for our free public concerts and music
education programs comes from generous donations and
membership dues, so please renew promptly and consider
making an extra donation. Membership dues: individuals
$30, family $35, ensemble/org $60, and student $10.
Member directories are now available.
House Concert Program Friday, November 15, 2019 - 7:30 PM
$35 Donation – Limited Seating, Reservations Required
All proceeds support DGMC Student Music Awards
featuring
Jen Leckie, Violin Chris DiMarco, Baritone Chris Garofalo,
Piano, Harpsichord & Clavichord
Le Vertigo Joseph-Nicolas-Pancrace Royer Preludes en forme de blues: Lento cantabile Alexandre Tansman Sonata for Violin and Piano Op. 12, No. 2 Ludwig van Beethoven
Allegro Andante, piu tosto Allegretto Allegro piacevole
Widmung Robert Schumann Piano Folio...to a Disappeared Pleiad Takashi Yoshimatsu Japanese Folk Songs Hajime Okumura Ondo no Funauto Otemoyan
Three Songs of the Sea Roger Quilter The Sea Bird Moonlight By the Sea
Danzas Argentinas Alberto Ginastera Danza de la moza donosa
Les Miserables: Stars Claude-Michel Schönberg
Dessert Reception following the program
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D O W N E R S G R O V E M U S I C C L U B . O R G ❖ Celebrating the musical arts since 1927
Holiday Treasures Concert & Singalong Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 2:00 pm, DG Library
Top off the
Thanksgiving
weekend with a
musical welcome
to the holiday
season – our
final program for
2019 – followed by a holiday party for DGMC members
and the cast!
Adults and children will enjoy a delightful hour of holiday
music brought to you by Downers Grove Music Club musi-
cians, special guests from both the Downers Grove Choral
Society and the West Towns chorus, plus other guest per-
formers. There will be traditional Christmas music and
"surprise-songs" (brand-new music), interspersed with
audience singalongs. The new, original music is written by
DGMC member Joyce Tumea, plus former director of the
Downer Grove Choral Society Bob Holst, and composer
Sharon West, originally from Downers Grove. Colorful, costumed characters will also be on hand.
Naturally, the cast of characters includes Santa and Clara
Claus and some elves, who are joined by Father Winter,
the Super-Nice Snow Queen, the Ice King, Frost Faeries,
and Elfreyda the Elven Empress.
This popular event is free, but seating is limited; reserva-
tions are recommended. Visit our website to reserve
seats: downersgrovemusicclub.org, or call the Library at
630-960-1200.
PROGRAM Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.
Downers Grove Public Library, 1050 Curtiss Street, Downers Grove
Up on the Housetop DGCS Outreach Group O Christmas Tree DGCS Outreach Group Elfreyda the Elven Empress (Original) Dave Shepherd and others on chorus Snow Falling Softly (Original) Angela Presutti Christmastime Cheer (Original) Rusty Steiger, John Sachanda, Bill Kundert Hear the Bells (Original) Sharon West Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire Angela Presutti Carol of the Bells DGCS Outreach Group Santa’s Sister (Original) Marie Gillespie One Perfect Day of Peace (Original) TBD Audience Singalong
F O L L O W I N G T H E P RO G R A M , D G M C M EM B E R S A N D T H E C AS T A R E I NV I T E D T O S T A Y F O R A H O L I D A Y P A R T Y!
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D O W N E R S G R O V E M U S I C C L U B . O R G ❖ Celebrating the musical arts since 1927
Holiday Party!
Music Club Members are invited to enjoy our lively and
colorful holiday program from 2-3 p.m. on Sunday
December 1st at the library, and then stay afterwards for
our Music Club and Cast Holiday Party.
About 15 minutes after the program has ended, when
most non-Club attendees have departed the meeting
room, additional refreshments will be served. Music Club
members and any of their family or friends are invited to
enjoy punch and cookies, fruit and vegetable trays and
pizza, while informally mingling with each other and the
cast. Those who are unable to attend the program may
still show up for the party, and celebrate the season with
fellow music-lovers. Please join us!
Piano Festival & Competition
Registration for the 2020 Piano Festival and Competition
opens on November 15 and goes through February 7,
2020. ALL registration must be completed online at
downersgrovemusicclub.org/pianofest.html.
DGMC Notes
Alice Cummings
We were saddened to learn that
longtime DGMC member Alice Hoadley
Cummings passed away on October
2nd after a long battle with cancer.
Alice was an accomplished pianist and
a well-respected piano teacher who
touched the lives of hundreds of
children and adults. People gravitated
toward her because she was always smiling, upbeat, and
fun to be around.
The music club will be donating Beethoven: The Relentless
Revolutionary to the Downers Grove Library in her
memory. This book is described as “a fascinating and in-
depth exploration of how the Enlightenment, the French
Revolution, and Napoleon shaped Beethoven’s political
ideals and inspired his groundbreaking compositions.”
West Towns Chorus
On November 17th at 2:00 pm, members of the West
Towns chorus will present a program for the Concert
Series which the DGMC co-hosts with the DG Library. The
“Barbershop Boys” – no scissors or haircutting involved –
will once again present a lively and lovely medley of
Barbershop-style tunes in their annual concert at the
Downers Grove Public Library. These twenty-some “boys”
are an outreach group of the approximately 40 members
of the West Towns Barbershop Chorus, which is a new
member of the DG Music Club. Audiences look forward to
this program every year.
Selections to be sung in four-part harmony, a cappella,
include My Girl, Little St. Nick, Do You Hear the People
Sing, and The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
IMPORTANT FESTIVAL DEADLINES
• Entry forms due: February 7, 2020 – no extensions!
• Festival and Competition (all students): Sunday,
March 8, 2020, Community United Methodist
Church, 20 Center Street, Naperville.
• Honor Recitals (invited students): Sunday, March 15,
2020 at 1:30 pm and 3:00 pm, Downers Grove
Library.
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D O W N E R S G R O V E M U S I C C L U B . O R G ❖ Celebrating the musical arts since 1927
Although it is a men’s chorus, rules have been changed by
the national Barbershop Society to allow women to join.
None have so far, but the chorus is one of just a few in the
barbershop world to be directed by a woman, in this case,
Carrie Marcotte of Bolingbrook.
Countdown to Christmas is coming on December 7th and
14th. Another annual program that many people in our
community look forward to each year is the West Town’s
“Christmas Extravaganza.” This year there are three
performances on the 1st and 2nd Saturdays in December.
The location has changed to the Living Water Community
Church in Bolingbrook. See page 6 for more West Towns
Chorus information.
Muriel Anderson
Muriel Anderson is one of the
world’s foremost finger-style
guitarists and harp-guitarists.
She is an engaging performer
with a unique approach to
the instrument, plus she is the daughter of DGMC
members Andrea and Ted Anderson! Muriel will be in
town to present her annual Saturday after Thanksgiving
Concert on November 30th. More details can be found on
page 6.
Check out her beautiful website http://murielanderson.com
and plan to attend!
Request for Performers for February and May
There are openings for performers for our February 9th and
May 17th programs. Contact Charlotte Ewing at 630-985-
8472 or [email protected] if you are interested.
Spirito! Singers
Spirito! Singers have an exciting event coming on Saturday,
February 29th – a Choral Conducting Retreat and Singer
Workshop (details below). Spirito! is very proud of the
day’s schedule and the three outstanding clinicians who
are participating – it should be fabulous for all who attend!
In fact, one of the clinicians, Catherine DeLanoy, is from
Downers Grove.
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D O W N E R S G R O V E M U S I C C L U B . O R G ❖ Celebrating the musical arts since 1927
P.O. Box 551, Downers Grove, IL 60515
DGMC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit musical arts organization.
Organizations and Events Downers Grove Choral Society begins its 61st season. For more information, visit www.dgcs.org.
December 8 at 4:00 pm: Holiday Baroque: Handel's Messiah and more Baroque musical delights, including Vivaldi's Magnificat and Rutter's Joy to the World. Immanuel Lutheran Church, 5211 Carpenter St., DG
Grant Street String Quartet: This quartet was formed in 2010 by four professional musicians in the western suburban area of Chicago.
For more info, visit http://www.grantstreetstringquartet.weebly.com.
Muriel Anderson: For more info or to buy tickets, go to http://murielanderson.com, Anderson’s Bookstore, or Tobias Music.
Saturday, November 30 at 8:00pm: Muriel Anderson’s annual Saturday after Thanksgiving Concert at Downers Grove High School Auditorium, 4436 N Main St., DG. Featuring Muriel Anderson and guest performer Thom Bresh, legendary Travis-picker, humorist, and son of Merle Travis. Homemade baked goods as always!
PianoForte Studios: Thomas Zoells, Director, and Owner of the PianoForte Chicago piano store.
Visit https://pianofortechicago.com/concerts-events/ for information on upcoming piano concerts at the PianoForte Studios, 1335 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. You can also call for information at (312) 291-0000.
Sinfonietta Bel Canto: with Dan Pasquale D’Andrea, Artistic Director/Conductor. For more info & advance tickets, visit www.SinfoniettaBelCanto.org or call 630-384-5007. All events at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 5211 Carpenter St., DG.
Wednesday, January 1, 2020 at 3:00 pm: SBC Gala: A Family New Year’s Day Celebration
Sunday, January 26, 2020 at 3:00 pm: SBC Orchestra Soloists … Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 in Eb major plus a variety of solos and duets performed by SBC musicians.
Spirito! Singers: For more info or to buy tickets, visit www.spiritosingers.org. Saturday, December 7 at 4:00 pm and Sunday, December 8 at 3:00 pm: Balulalow ~ Cradle Lullabies at Elmhurst Christian
Reformed Church, 149 W Brush Hill Road, Elmhurst.
West Towns Chorus: Chartered in 1948, this group is one of the premier men’s a cappella choruses in the Chicago area. For more
information, please visit www.westtowns.org.
Sunday, November 17 at 2:00 pm: Annual Concert at the Library featuring about 20 members of the chorus performing a cappella barbershop favorites. Part of the Concert Series at the Downers Grove Public Library,1050 Curtiss St., DG
Saturday, December 7 at 2:00 pm and Saturday, December 14 at 2:00 pm and 7:00pm: Countdown to Christmas: The full West Towns Chorus presents its well-loved annual Christmas show at Living Water Community Church, 190 Lily Cache Lane, Bolingbrook. Special guests include Midwest Crossroad Chorus (a women’s a capella chorus), Affinity Strings and Chicago Bronze (an English handbell ensemble). To buy tickets, visit http://www.westtowns.org/shows events/.
